1. Summary of the Prior Art
This invention relates to a training device, and more particularly to a parallel ski training device for conditioning and developing the muscles, balance and reflexes used in parallel skiing.
The parallel ski training device of the present invention has two foot platforms, each of which rotates about its own independent vertical axis, where the rotation angles of the two foot platforms are always congruent.
The ski training device of the present invention can be adapted so the foot platforms can independently tilt, to simulate xe2x80x9cedging.xe2x80x9d Whereas the two foot platforms are mounted to a base platform, further adaptations are to tilt the base platform and/or permit it to rotate about a near-horizontal axis. These adaptations simulate the forces caused by skiing at lateral downhill angles.
Exercise devices for parallel ski training are well known, and appear in a variety of embodiments. Various ski instruction and training devices have been proposed, having two foot platforms and where the two foot platforms have independent vertical rotation axes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,693, to Poppenberger describes such a ski instruction apparatus; but the rotation angles of the two foot platforms are completely independent, and are not kept congruent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,532 to Hunstad also describes an apparatus having two foot platforms, and includes a spring means that urges, but does not force, the two foot platforms to rotate in parallel. At column 2, lines 54 to 67 of Hunstad, the inventor describes the foot platforms as rotating in parallel relationship, and also describes a means for varying the resistance to rotating in non-parallel relationship by locating extension springs (24) at various positions on the foot platforms.
Other ski instruction devices have been proposed, also having two foot platforms, but where the foot platforms do not have independent vertical axes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,869, to Eckstein describes an apparatus having two foot platforms, where both are mounted to a common platform, and the common platform has one vertical axis of rotation. At column 4, lines 20 to 33, the inventor notes that the foot platforms are kept parallel to each other. But the foot platform rotation of the present invention, being about two vertical axes, causes a training motion that is distinguishable from the training motion of Eckstein, which is about a single vertical axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,226 to Krantz describes another variation of the two foot platform style of exercise or training apparatus, but as with Eckstein, the rotation of the foot platforms about a near-vertical axis will occur about a single axis, common to both foot platforms. At column 3, lines 31 to 38, the inventor describes rotation of the sole plates about longitudinal axes; which simulates the edging motion noted above. In the skiing simulator of Eckstein, the edging angles of the two foot platforms are forced to be congruent.
Yet another variation of exercise device provides for a single foot platform, rather that two.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,630, to Watson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,160 to Bertoletti; U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,858 to Zelli; U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,140 to Klippel; U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,115 to Corcoran; U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,164 to Teff; United Kingdom Patent Specification 1,372,342 to Simpson; UK Patent Application 2,004,190A of Dehan; and European Patent Specification 0,088,643 of Lie each describe a variation of exercise or training apparatus having a single foot platform.
2. Summary of the Present Invention
The parallel ski training device of the present invention accurately simulates the motions and forces of parallel skiing. It can be used by individuals of all sizes and ages. It can be used to teach the novice or condition the expert.
The use of the parallel ski training device of the present invention does not require the wearing of ski boots, or the use of ski bindings or other special equipment.
The distinguishing characteristic of the present invention over the prior art is the combination of independent rotation axes on two foot supports, in combination with mandatory parallel rotation of the foot supports.
The present invention can be adapted to further include tilting motions on each foot platform to simulates xe2x80x9cedging.xe2x80x9d The rotation and tilting motions can be biased to straight-ahead and level positions.
An additional adaptation is the raising of the front edge of the base platform. This causes the user""s ankles, knees, legs and body to adopt the same attitude that is adopted when leaning forward during downhill skiing activity.
Yet another adaptation of the present invention is to arrange the base platform in such a way that it can rock from right to left.
The adaptations listed above can be combined in various ways, i.e. a parallel ski training device of the present invention can be made with any combination of: independent rotation axes having mandatory parallel rotation; foot platform tilting; biasing of rotation to straight ahead; biasing of tilting to level; raising of the front edge of the base platform; and rocking of the base platform.
The present invention relates to a parallel ski training device that may be adapted to use various materials and methods of construction while providing the essential features. Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the above and from the following description of the illustrative embodiments when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
In summary, and in accordance with the above discussion, the foregoing objectives are achieved in the following embodiments.
1. An exercise apparatus comprising:
a base platform having a bottom surface and a flat top face, front and rear edges, left and right edges, and a longitudinal centerline equidistant from the left and right edges;
first and second rotation members having top faces and longitudinal axes and, where the rotation members are rotatably mounted to the top face of the base platform; and
means to constrain the rotation of the rotation members so that their longitudinal axes always remain parallel.
2. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, further comprising:
first and second foot platforms tiltably mounted to the first and second rotation member top faces respectively, where the foot platform tilt axes and the rotation member longitudinal axes are parallel.
3. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 2, where the foot platform tilt axes are located between the rotation member top faces and the foot platforms.
4. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, further comprising means to bias the rotation members rotation angle to the position where the line connecting the two rotation axes is perpendicular to the rotation members longitudinal axes.
5. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, where the means to constrain the rotation of the rotation members comprises a tie bar having a longitudinal axis and where the tie bar is rotatably fastened to both rotation members.
6. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, where the means to constrain the rotation of the rotation members comprises:
a first gear or friction wheel fastened to the first rotation member and having a centerline that is coaxial with the first rotation member rotation axis;
a second gear or friction wheel fastened to the second rotation member and having a centerline that is coaxial with the second rotation member rotation axis; and
an idler gear or idler gear train or friction wheel or friction wheel train or toothed belt or belt arranged in communication with both first and second gear or friction wheel, so that both first and second gear or friction wheel rotate in unison.
7. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 5, further comprising:
first and second foot platforms tiltably mounted to first and second rotation member top faces respectively, where the foot platform tilt axes and the rotation member longitudinal axes are parallel.
8. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 7, further comprising means to bias each foot platform tilt angle to the position where the top face of the foot platform is parallel to the top face of the base platform.
9. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, where the base platform rear edge is curved; and further comprising:
a pedestal having a hemispherical or circular arc or semi-conical or semi-round shape; and
where the pedestal is located on the base platform bottom surface, on the base platform longitudinal centerline, closer to the base platform front edge than to its rear edge, so that the front edge of the base platform is raised and the base platform is rockable from right to left.
10. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 1, wherein the bottom surface of the base platform is shaped so that the front edge of the base platform is raised and the base platform is rockable from right to left.
11. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 9, further comprising:
first and second foot platforms tiltably mounted to first and second rotation member top faces respectively, where the foot platform tilt axes and the rotation member longitudinal axes are parallel.
12. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 11, where the foot platform tilt axes are located between the rotation member top faces and the foot platforms.
13. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 9, further comprising means to bias the rotation members rotation angle to the position where one line can be perpendicular to both rotation members longitudinal axes.
14. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 9, where the means to constrain the rotation of the rotation members comprises a tie bar having a longitudinal axis and where the tie bar is rotatably fastened to both rotation members.
15. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 14, further comprising:
first and second foot platforms tiltably mounted to first and second rotation member top faces respectively, where the foot platform tilt axes and the rotation member longitudinal axes are parallel.
16. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 15, further comprising means to bias each foot platform tilt angle to the position where the top face of the foot platform is parallel to the top face of the base platform.
17. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 3, further comprising compression springs interposed between the top faces of the rotation members and bottom faces of the foot platforms so as to bias each foot platform tilt angle to the position where the top face of the foot platform is parallel to the top face of the base platform.
18. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 4, where the means to bias the rotation angle comprises extension springs.
19. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 5, further comprising:
first and second foot platforms tiltably mounted to the first and second rotation member top faces respectively;
foot platform tilt axes, each comprising eyes fastened to the bottom face of a foot platform, eyes fastened to the top face of a rotation member, and a shaft passing through all of the eyes so that the longitudinal axes of the shafts are parallel with the longitudinal axes of the rotation members;
compression springs interposed between the top faces of the rotation members and bottom faces of the foot platforms so as to bias each foot platform tilt angle to the position where the top face of the foot platform is parallel to the top face of the base platform;
extension springs arranged to bias the rotation members rotation angle to the position where the line connecting the two rotation axes is perpendicular to the rotation member longitudinal axes; and
a pedestal having a hemispherical or circular arc or semi-conical or semi-round shape, where the pedestal is located on the base platform bottom surface, on the base platform longitudinal centerline, closer to the base platform front edge than to its rear edge, so that the front edge of the base platform is raised and the base platform is rockable from right to left.
20. An exercise apparatus as described in paragraph 19, where the rotation member rotation axes are located proximately below the balls of the user""s feet and further comprising:
rotation member support means located between the rotation member bottom faces and the base platform top face, and located proximately below the heels of the user""s feet.